# Boat Steering Wheels on the Right Hand Side...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [September 22, 1999, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216 "1999-09-22T06:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RobertinNewYawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba8739/32.png) [@RobertinNewYawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobertinNewYawk)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216/1 "1999-09-22T06:16:00Z")

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The Norse invented the SteerBoard, and it was placed on the right hand side of the boat…to be used by the predominantly right handed steersmen. Old habits die hard…especially in sailing, and all steering mechanisms continue to be placed on the right.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216/2 "1999-09-22T11:37:00Z")

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Here’s the link to the site: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdriveboat.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdriveboat.html)

It’s helpful if you post that link, so others can read the Mailbag article before responding – saves time and duplication of effort.

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216/3 "1999-09-22T13:42:00Z")

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Sailing? I thought steering wheels were usually in the middle of the boat in sailboats. We were talking about power boats, and I think we ruled out the “right handed” theory.

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216/4 "1999-09-22T15:42:00Z")

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The steering _wheel_ is usually in the middle of sailboats, but that was a much latter invention, only a few hundred years old. Ships used to be steered with a “steerboard” which was normally mounted on the right for right-handed steersmen, and it is fairly reasonable to assume that certain traditional rules of navigation derive from that practice. At any rate, the English words “starboard” and “port” do.

The connection, if any, of all this with the location of the steering wheel on power boats is much more problematic.

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John W. Kennedy  
“Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.”  
– Charles Williams

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boat-steering-wheels-on-the-right-hand-side/1216/5 "1999-09-23T04:14:00Z")

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[[The connection, if any, of all this with the location of the steering wheel on power boats is much more problematic.]]

The “counter the torque” answer I came up with in the column seemed pretty reasonable, I still think. And I’m thinking it’s not connected to the historical reasons for starboard steering wheels on ships.